A Pinch Of Tadka To Your Day

21, Apr 2019 | nepaltraveller.com

Experience a little of Punjab at Ghar-e-Kabab, Hotel Annapurna with authentic food and traditional ghazal

On April 19, Ghar-e-Kabab, the in-house Indian Restaurant at Hotel Annapurna inaugurated the lively ‘Punj Tadka’ — a food festival showcasing authentic Punjabi cuisine that promises to deliver the North Indian region’s rich culinary reputation. With the motive of celebrating the Baisakhi festival in Punjabi style, the hotel has planned to commemorate with a food fiesta, first of its kind by offering the guests with a genuine experience of Punjab’s distinctive tradition and food culture.

The restaurant’s ambience is revamped in a way that exhibits the true essence of Punjab. At the door of Ghar-e-Kabab, you can see a tree like prop where different names of Punjab states are written on pieces of paper and well-adjusted in a decorative style. From the tiniest detail in décor, the dining tables are ornamented with sleek cutlery and the servers are all dressed in traditional North Indian attire where men sport the signature turban. The background folk instrumental music is pleasantly followed by traditional ghazal — it’s a little of Punjab right here in town.

Most of the cuisine is specific to different Punjabi states and the menu is categorised in three different formats: À La Carte, Chef’s Elite Menu and the Set Menu. Firstly, starting with refreshers, their Shikanji is a highly recommended welcome drink, a refreshing juice to be consumed before the drink settles to room temperature. Amongst the snacks and main courses, there are so many delectable dishes to try. However, if you run out of choices, Chef’s Elite Menu is what you should consider.

Their Tadke waali daal goes very well with jeera rice or steam rice. Sprinkled all over with coriander leaves, the thickness of this dish is a perfect blend to your scoop of rice.

Much loved by non-vegetarian foodies, Chicken tikka here will definitely satisfy your taste buds with a mouthful of meaty delights. A plus point—squeeze some lemons before you take a bite.

Corn Seekh here is made with American corn and tastes as unique as it looks. A hint of crunchy yet soft in the inside, the dish is either eaten alone or you might want to dip the roll in one of the spicy curries.

For the dessert, Rasgulla, milk dumplings with date sugar is highly recommended. However, if you are up for some puddings, Gajjar ka Halwa will sweeten your mouth to perfection.

A word with Tripurari Singh, Director-Food and Beverage:

“Punj Tadka is definitely not just about the food, it’s an experience as a whole. As the Baisakhi has started in Punjab, there is a festival of celebration so here also we wanted to do something new, a new type of revelry of a new year that shows Punjab’s authenticity as much as possible. It has roughly been 40 years since the existence of Punjabi cuisine in Kathmandu and is also one of the highly preferred cuisines around the world. So, the motive is to let people be more familiar to this widely known cuisine while staying true to tradition.”

“Since Punjab is all about celebration, food and music, we wanted to give a unique experience, precisely a complete taste of Punjab. Thus, Punj Tadka at Ghar-e-Kebab is one of the ways that could strengthen our concept. Moreover, we look forward to coming up with distinctive ideas and events in the future.”

Offering you with a blend of traditional and contemporary delights, the festival will last for a duration of two weeks, commencing from April 19 to May 4 (12:30 pm to 10:30 pm) Punj Tadka is unlike what you’ve experienced before.